‘Cold as ºF’ in Chicago as polar vortex puts US Midwest in a deep freeze

In “Chiberia” – as locals have dubbed Chicago as temperatures have plummeted to -30 degrees Celsius (-23 Fahrenheit) it is cold enough to freeze an egg on the pavement. Or to turn a bubble blown outside into a beautiful frosty snow globe before it splinters with the cold.

A blast of polar air has swept across many cities in the US leading to the lowest temperatures in a generation. Schools and businesses have closed, flights have been cancelled and as of Wednesday evening, at least eight deaths had been linked to the system.

Chicago isn’t the only city hit by the low temperatures, or the coldest, with the temperature dropping to -41 degrees in Park Rapids, Minnesota.

While the extreme cold is miserable for many, some have been trying to find a bright side. In Chicago, residents have posted photographs on social media showing just how freezing life has become.

Local news outlets have made their reporters brave the elements to test whether an egg placed in a frying pan at these temperatures would freeze – the opposite of frying an egg on the pavement in extreme heat, which The Guardian’s Australia team found required hotter temperatures than you might expect.

“Cold as ºF”, was the headline on the Loyola Phoenix, the official student newspaper of Loyola University in Chicago and on Tuesday, the Chicago Tribune ran sage weather-related advice on its front page: “Expert: avoid being outside”.